Dr Mallika is an Ophthalmologist with extensive clinical, teaching, and research experience across tertiary education and the health sector. She is currently based within the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Flinders University, where she contributes to research in eye health, ocular imaging modalities, and patient-centred outcomes.

Dr Mallika completed her PhD in item banking at Flinders University in 2018, following medical training at Madras Medical College and specialist ophthalmology training at the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology in Chennai, India. Prior to commencing her doctoral studies, she held positions as a Senior Lecturer in Ophthalmology at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sarawak, and as a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Sarawak General Hospital. During her nine years in Malaysia, she received multiple academic and service excellence awards and led a range of clinical and academic research projects. Her achievements led to an invitation in 2014 to pursue a PhD at Flinders University, where she was awarded two prestigious Australian scholarships (APA and IPRS). Earlier in her career, between 2000 and 2004, she practiced as a Consultant Ophthalmologist in India.

Dr Mallika is a highly motivated researcher and passionate educator whose work focuses on ocular diseases, ocular imaging, quality of life, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and Rasch analysis to enhance measurement precision. Her research advances understanding of visual health outcomes and supports evidence-based ophthalmic care.

Ocular imaging as a biomarker for systemic diseases

Exploring the utility of retinal imaging for early detection of systemic disease. Her work uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCT-A) to identify subclinical retinal microvascular changes associated with peripheral arterial disease and Idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The goal is to enable earlier diagnosis and improved systemic disease monitoring through retinal imaging.

Advancing Vision-Related Quality of Life Measurement in Ocular Conditions

This research program focuses on advancing the assessment of vision-related quality of life in ocular conditions through the development and validation of robust Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) that more accurately capture the lived experience of individuals with eye disease. It aims to create clinically meaningful, precise, and responsive measurement tools by developing comprehensive item banks implemented through computerised adaptive testing (CAT), which tailors questions to individual responses to reduce respondent burden while maintaining high measurement precision for both clinical practice and research. Central to this work is the application of Rasch analysis to ensure strong psychometric properties, including reliability, validity, and interval-level measurement, with rigorous refinement and validation processes designed to deliver next-generation PROMs that provide accurate, efficient, and patient-centred assessment of visual function and quality of life outcomes.

Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmology

Investigating the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosing ocular diseases, with a particular focus on corneal infections. Her current work explores AI-based classification of infective keratitis to improve clinical diagnostic accuracy—an essential challenge in managing infective keratitis. She has also contributed to developing automated machine‑learning tools for detecting advanced diabetic retinopathy.

• Sep 2020 Lynne Loh - HDR Best poster award

• Ophthalmology (2)